Disability Access News

A deaf woman has won a case against a potential employer after complaining that she was discriminated against prior to the interview stage. Pauline Alexander applied for temping work within Sales Link Services, a recruitment agency in London. She had formerly been the director of a property company, and was well qualified for the role for which she was applying.

When she contacted Sales Link Services about the position, she was told that her hearing impairment would be a barrier to doing the job. Although she was asked to send in a CV, the company contacted her shortly afterwards to tell her that she would not be invited to interview because of her hearing loss. It was only when Ms Alexander pointed out that this was discriminatory that the company backed down and offered her an interview.

When Ms Alexander took the case to an employment tribunal, it ruled that she had been unfairly discriminated against under the Disability Discrimination Act. Sales Link Services was ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation, as well as legal fees. However, she found that this part of the process was not free from obstacles, as she explained: ‘I'd also like to see an overhaul of the tribunal system to make it more “disability friendly”, including deaf and disability awareness training for all tribunal staff, especially those on tribunal panels.’

Daily Times Pakistan Sunday, May 18, 2008

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saturday that the government has committed to include disabled persons in the development process and empower them through skill development and capacity building.

“The government will take more steps for the welfare of persons with disabilities and through little efforts, these persons could be made a productive part of the society,” PM said. He was addressing a seminar on ‘World Telecom Day’. Prime Minister formally inaugurated the new service ‘PTCL Smart’ and distributed awards to the winners of essay competition organised by Wateen Telecom.

According to PM, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector was considered as an engine for overall socio-economic development all over the world.

However, the benefits of the advancement in this sector were yet to trickle down. It was therefore, responsibility of the government to ensure that the ICT are used to empower all segments of society.

“We are fully committed to extend the fruits of these advancements to our entire population, irrespective of their social status and geographical location,” the PM maintained.

“This Day is significant because of the thought provoking theme, ‘Connecting Persons with Disabilities: ICT Opportunities for All.’ The theme was even more relevant to Pakistan in perspective of the October 8, 2005 earthquake, which resulted in increase of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

He said special education institutions needed to develop special tools, software and training programmes for Persons With Disabilities.

Such programme would not only improve their lives but also allow them to get due share of employment opportunities.

The prime minister said access to global information resource centers through information and communication technologies had increased the productivity of human resources. These Technologies could also serve the cause of taking the persons with disabilities into the mainstream human resources. They must be helped to explore and employ these technologies for self-reliance. Capacity building measures with specialized training could transform the lives, especially for persons with disabilities. The information society had great potential of home-based job and e-business opportunities that need little mobility of human resource.

“I am optimistic the initiatives of ITU and the Government of Pakistan will mark the beginning of a new era, an era of “ICT opportunities for all” and “empowerment of every citizen with information and knowledge,” the prime minister added.

Gilani appreciated the ministry for initiating a consultation process in collaboration with ministry of social welfare and special education, ERRA and NGOs.

Joint Media Release with Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

The Australian Government will support the employment of people with disability by extending access to wage assessment tools for businesses at a cost of $25.7 million over four years.

This means around 90 small businesses employing supported workers with disability, which lack the infrastructure to administer internal wage assessments, can continue to rely on the Government-funded Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT).

This tool is used to calculate pro-rata wages for their supported employees.

Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin and Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities Bill Shorten said these small businesses collectively employ around 9,000 supported employees with disabilities.

"Businesses need ongoing support to continue employing people with disability who have an enormous amount to contribute to the economic growth of the nation," Ms Macklin said.

The current arrangement for access to BSWAT was due to expire on 30 June 2008.

"This commitment underlines our determination to create a robust National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy," Mr Shorten said.

"The Strategy is looking at ways to create direct links between employers and people with disability and mental illness by addressing myths about increased risks and costs, and raising awareness of the benefits. It's also exploring innovative ways to help people with disability to find and retain work, and forging pathways from business services to open employment."

Employment Participation Minister, Brendan O'Connor, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services, Bill Shorten, are jointly overseeing the development of this strategy and have been holding public consultations in capital cities and regional locations since April.

Thursday, 15 May 2008, 1:03 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government

Hon Ruth Dyson
Minister for Disability Issues

15 May 2008 Media Statement

Minister receives disability award for New Zealand

Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson received the prestigious Roosevelt International Disability Award from the Governor-General on behalf of the Government today.

The Governor-General accepted the award at the United Nations last week in recognition of New Zealand’s progress towards advancing the participation of disabled people.
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“The winning of this award owes much to the initiatives that have been introduced under the New Zealand Disability Strategy, which has been developed as a partnership between the Government and disabled people,” Ruth Dyson said.

“The strategy has set a new standard for participation by disabled people not only in New Zealand but internationally. It has achieved a great deal in a relatively short time, thanks largely to the dedication and commitment of disabled people across the country.

“This Government is committed to the principle that everyone is entitled to live a life to the fullest extent of his or her abilities. That is what the strategy is all about.

“This is a proud day for disabled people in New Zealand and for everyone who has contributed to the successes of the Disability Strategy,” Ruth Dyson said.

The award – a bronze sculpture of President FD Roosevelt – is to be placed in the Galleria in Parliament.

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Roosevelt Award

The Award is sponsored by the World Committee on disability and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.

The award comes with a cash prize of US$50,000 for a New Zealand non-government disability organisation that has supported disabled people into leadership roles; or promoted and advocated for the rights of disabled people; or worked to make society more responsive to their needs.

The prize was awarded to the Disabled Persons’ Assembly, which will use the funding to promote the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a major ongoing event in the lives of New Zealanders, and to create a diversity action programme, using disabled people as teachers.

Posted Mon May 12, 2008 10:00am AEST

A meeting this week may end a tenancy dispute involving a young disabled Tasmanian man.

19-year old Lucas Dyson and his parents have been seeking a key to Mr Dyson's shared unit in Launceston, which is to be managed by a new service provider, Abel Australia.

Disability Services will not issue a key, mainly for safety reasons as keys can be stolen, lost or copied.

Abel Australia supports that decision.

The Department of Health has put in place interim measures, that it says are acceptable to all parties.

It means Mr Dyson will not be subject to new care provisions until the meeting with his family is held.

Advocacy Tasmania's Julian Eades, who is representing the Dysons, says there's now some hope that the matter will be resolved.

"I'm quietly hopeful that this intervention from a senior bureaucrat is going to carry through on her commitment to find a way forward, it's been the first positive contact we've had from the department so far," he said.

Mr Eades says a senior department official will try and resolve the impasse.

"Who has committed to extending the interim support arrangements for Lucas so that he doesn't have to transition to the new provider until we can hopefully iron out some of the issues," he said.

"We're actually meeting with that person next week, so we're feeling hopeful that that's at least going to find a way through the maze."